Flatiron holder



Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention relates to flat-iron holders adapted for use with ironing boards.

Flat-iron holders have heretofore been constructed for mounting on ironing boards, but

have been open to various objections, such as insecure attachment, and the necessity for more or less accurate guidance and manipulation of the flat-irons to place them on the holders, diverting the attention of the users and causing unnecessary loss of time.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, and inexpensive flat-iron holder capable of ready but secure attachment to ironing boards and more specifically to boards of different widths.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved holder which will facilitate the placement of a flat-iron thereon, and permit such placement without need for special guidance or visual attention.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a flat-iron holder constructed in accordance with the invention, the holder supporting a flat-iron thereon and being attached in operative position to an ironing board,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the assembly of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the holder, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is an end view of the holder, parts being shown in section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, l0 designates an ironing board of any usual construction covered with the cus- 40 tomarycloth padding, one end portion of the board being shown. The board may be supported in any well-known manner.

The flat-iron holder of the invention is designated generally by the numeral II and is de-' 45 tachably secured to the ironing board near one end of the board, as hereinafter described. The holder is adapted to support thereon a flat-iron l2, which is slidable from the board onto the holder, and vice versa.

50 The holder comprises a rectangular sheet metal edge of the base plate to form an approach or ventilating openings ll communicating with an airspace or chamber I8 formed between the base and top plates. The front portion IQ of the top plate slopes downwardly to the straight front ramp for the flat-iron, and is provided at its front edge with a rearwardly projecting hookforming flange 20 which engages beneath the front edge of the base plate. The sloping front portion l9 and flange 25 form an acute-angled 10 recess between them receiving and confining the front edge of the base plate. The sloping portion V is is slightly arched or crowned for rigidity. The top plate has upstanding side flanges 21 and an upstanding rear flange 22, the upper portions of 15 which are outwardly doubled on themselves to rest on and embrace the upper edges of the base plate flanges l5 and H3, respectively. The rear flange 22 has lugs 23 which are bent into ventilating openings in the base plate rear flange 20 IE to secure the top plate to the base plate. At their front portions, the upper edges of the side flanges of the base plate and top plate slope downwardly to the front edge of the base plate.

The sloping portion 19 of the top plate termi- 25 nates at its rear portion in a transverse ridge or bead 24 slightly higher than the horizontal wall portion of the top plate. The bead supports thereon the front portion of the flat-iron l2 so as to prevent the fiat-iron from accidently slid- 30 ing off the holder and to reduce the area of contact between the flat-iron and the top plate. The flat-iron is limited in sideward and rearward movement by the marginal flanges 2| and 22 of the top plate. The bead 24 also stiffens the top plate, and transverse ribs 25 are pressed into the top plate for the same purpose. The base and top plates preferably have bright or polished surfaces on all sides so as to minimize heating, es-

pecially of the portions of the holder which are in contact with the padding of the ironing board. The holder is provided with means for detachably securing it to the ironing board. In the present instance, the securing means comprises clamping hook bars 2'5 mounted on the holder and engageable with the opposite side edges of the board, at least one, and preferably both, of the hook bars being longitudinally adjustable to permit mounting of the holder on boards of different widths. If desired, the clamping bars may have inturned lower ends 26', as seen in Fig. 5. The clamping bars 26 are formed of flat strap metal and slidably rest on the upper face of the base plate l3, being guided by a pair of spaced sheet metal guide rails 21 secured, as by spot 5 welding 28, to the upper face of the base plate, the guide rails also stifiening the base plate. The clamping bars slidably pass through horizontal slots 29 formed at the'lower edges of'the base plate flanges I5. The guide rails 21 are provided near their ends and at their adjacent edges with upwardly bent lugs 30 and 3!, and the clamping bars 26 are provided with respective upwardly bent lugs 32 at their inner ends and between the guide rails, the lugs 32 being adjacent the respective guide rails. A pair of coiled springs 33 connect the lugs 32 of the respective clamping bars with the lugs 30 near the opposite side of the holder, so as to urge each clamping bar inwardly. During assembly the lugs 32 ofxthe clamping bars pass through vertical slots 34 in the base plate side flanges I5. The lugs 3| on the guide rails are bent to an oblique position after the clamping bars are inserted, and form stops engageable with the clamping bar lugs 32 to limit the outward movement of the clamping bars. The top plate is secured in place after the clamping bars and springs are assembled on the base plate.

To mount the holder on the ironing board, the clamping bars 26 are urged apart to engage the opposite edges of the ironing board If! near an end of the board. The spring-urged clamping bars press into the padding and retain the holder firmly in position, and the holder substantially centers itself with respect to the width of the board. 7 Since the clamping bars engage the side edges of the ironing board, there is no interference in the case of a board which is hinged or trunnioned at its end. The straight front edge of the holder extends transversely of the board, and the width of the holder is substantially greater than that of the flat-iron and of the same order as the width of the board. The holder base plate rests on the padding and sinks slightly into the padding.

In use, when the operator wishes to place the flat-iron on the holder, the fiat-iron is slid rear.- wardly along the board and upwardly onto the wide sloping-front holder, the flat-iron being limited in its movement by the rear flange 22 of the holder top plate, and occupying a random position on the holder, such as that indicated in Fig. 1. Because of the construction of the holder, the operator may in one sweeping movement push the flat-iron along the board and onto the holder without observing the iron as it reaches and rides up onto the holder, no accurate guiding or special manipulation of the iron being required. A considerable saving of the operator's time is thus made possible, and the work is made less tiring. The holder is adequately ventilated so that scorching of the. padding is avoided.

What I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r 7

A flat-iron'holder for an ironing board, comprisinga flat-iron support adapted to rest on the board, a guide carried. bysaid support, and clamping members on said support engageable with opposite side edges of the board, oneof said clamping members being slidable along said guide, said guide having spaced lugs, and said slidable clamping member having a lug intermediate said lugs onsaid guide, a coiled spring connecting said clamping member lug and one of said lugs on said guide to urge said clamping member inwardly, and the other lug on said guide being engageable with said clamping member lug to limit the outward movement of said clamping member.

FRED R. STAUDLE. 

